When I'm With You
by alex-halcyon
Summary: Jungkook wasn't expecting to meet Ella in the gym, and neither of them expected their chance meeting would lead to them being pulled together in unexpected ways. As they each work hard in their own ways, they navigate their growing feelings for each other, while dealing with the difficulties of fame and consequences that come with it. [Cross-posted to ao3. Jungkook FF]
1. Chapter 1

**WHEN I'M WITH YOU  
_by alex-halcyon_  
**

_Sometimes the line between coincidence and fate blurred to the point you could only say it was serendipity.  
__It was an innocent enough decision made unsuspecting of the consequences that would follow.  
He was after a change of scenery and discovered a laugh that captured his attention.  
__She was working hard to accomplish her dreams, unaware it would lead to a chance meeting.  
Neither knew it would result in unexpected feelings they couldn't fight or deny._

* * *

**A/N: hello guys... okay, so a few quick notes about this story...**

**setting:**** first, let's pretend there is no military service so everyone from BTS is around. second, Jungkook and Ella are about 22/23. third, please use your imagination for some of the Korean culture and social norms like formal speech and etc because I'm not even going to attempt it since I don't know anything about it, sorry.**

**Moving on!**

**You know how it is when there's something in your head and you just have to get it out so you can move on with your life? Yeah, this is one of those things. ****To be honest, I have a love-hate relationship with this story for several reasons. I actually am a big k-pop fan and BTS is just one of my faves. ANYWAY. This story is...hmm, how can I describe it? The names and companies and etc of the characters/places are all 'real' but everything feels (in my mind) disconnected from reality? Like this story could really be about anyone? Maybe that's a little confusing but I'm not sure how to word it. Basically I hate writing about real people so much that I hate myself for writing this haha. **

**So this story isn't for 12/13/14/15-year-old fangirls who want their ideal fantasy world with their biases with fluffy tales of 'y/n x [insert bias here].' Sorry if that's offensive to anyone but it's the truth. I've created my own characters and storylines, and feel like this is a more grounded and rounded out story than some others I've come across in the fandom. ****That being said... I am proud of what I create in general and have my own pride as a writer. ****I hope you enjoy this story.**

* * *

**ONE**

**CHAPTER ONE**

Having a gym at the BigHit building was a resource that Jungkook was grateful for, but there were times he just needed to feel surrounded by something different. A change of scenery and pace was essential for him to not go stir-crazy from all the time he spent in their workplace, especially when they were making preparations for a comeback. Taking a few hours away during their much-needed break from rehearsals, he headed to the gym run by a trainer-turned-friend of his that had told him the gym would be quiet for a few hours. Jungkook drove there and headed inside. He had no reason to consider the strangeness of life or how people's lives could change in a moment, so when his gaze drifted across the gym and was drawn to the melodious sound of light laughter, he didn't expect that the girl who belonged to that laughter would capture him so completely in a single moment.

The moment was over almost as soon as it had begun when Jungkook's attention was taken by his friend and the owner of the gym, Do Hyun, who greeted him familiarly and led him further inside. He blinked, uncertain of what had just happened to him, and when his friend led him into the changing rooms, he looked back over his shoulder, catching a glimpse of her back before losing sight of her. It had only taken ten seconds, but it was enough. For the next hour, he did his best to concentrate on his workout, but his focus kept moving from his exercise to hers across the gym.

At some point, Do Hyun noticed where he kept looking.

"She's a model and fitness blogger," he said to Jungkook, who looked at him in surprise. Do Hyun nodded over to the girl he'd been staring at. "I've just signed a contract with her to be the face of the gym. She'll be here a lot from now on."

Jungkook nodded, trying to appear indifferent.

"That's cool," he replied casually.

Do Hyun chuckled.

"She's a good girl and about your age. Should I introduce you?"

Jungkook quickly returned to his weight machine, pulling the cable to his chest with a strain, pretending it was the exercise that was making him feel hot.

"Why would you do that?" He mumbled with annoyance.

Do Hyun chuckled again.

"What are you so defensive for?" He asked. "She came from overseas and apparently she doesn't have that many friends here. It's nice to meet new people."

"I don't need new friends."

Jungkook let go of the machine and looked up at Do Hyun who raised an eyebrow at him.

"Ah, well, from the way you were looking at her I assumed you wanted a new _'friend'_ to spend time with," he said slyly.

Jungkook threw his towel at him, embarrassed and annoyed, but then laughed because he couldn't exactly deny that, but he wasn't going to admit it either. He stood and took back his towel, moving over to the free weight area to do bodyweight work. His thoughts turned, thinking over what Do Hyun had implied. Jungkook had a public persona, but away from the cameras, he was just another young man with impulses. But he surprised himself when he thought about it more because that wasn't where his mind wandered first.

He finished his workout, but by that time, the girl had already left and Do Hyun had cunningly let it slip that this was her regular time to arrive and work out every day. He left and headed back to rehearsals. It must have shown on his face that he was thinking about something else because his members constantly asked what he was thinking about. Jungkook just shrugged them off, making up a plausible story so they stopped asking.

The next day, Jungkook managed to convince the staff to give them two hours break, recruiting Namjoon to help by using how sleep-deprived Yoongi looked as an excuse. Feeling embarrassed and confused at himself, he went back to the gym. He rolled his eyes at Do Hyun's grin, his ears felt hot with embarrassment. Rehearsals were going to be intense for the rest of the day, so he didn't want to fatigue himself too much. He sat on the exercise bike, which by coincidence, had a view of most of the gym, including where the girl was setting up a camera on a tripod. He watched with interest, remembering that Do Hyun had said she was a fitness blogger.

Jungkook noticed more about her that day and came to the conclusion that it was no wonder she was a model but questioned why he'd never seen her in a publication before. She was long-limbed, thin but strong too, not to mention beautiful. But when she smiled it reminded him a little of Jimin; there was a sense of genuine kindness in her expression.

Convincing the staff three days in a row wasn't possible and Jungkook didn't want to draw attention to himself. He had this nagging want to find out who the girl was, but without knowing her name he couldn't search for her. There hadn't been any announcements or updates from the gym yet either about the apparent contract Do Hyun had with her. Jungkook sighed restlessly during their breaks until they finally had time and he headed back to the gym. He didn't know what he was doing. He felt stranger the more he thought about it, he didn't even know what to say or how to talk to her or even if he wanted to. This wasn't something Jungkook had a lot of experience with. He wished he was like Jin, Jimin, or Taehyung, who could easily talk to others.

His chance to talk to her came sooner than he expected, but not the way he'd imagined. Privately he'd hoped to show off a cool side and leave an impression, but that wasn't exactly what happened. He was sitting at the push press machine when he heard a gasp and looked over to where it had come from. He saw her standing and staring at the ground in dismay and when he slowly stood to get a better view, he saw that her tripod was on the ground and realised that she had somehow accidentally knocked over her camera. His legs moved before he was really thinking about it and he was helping her pick it up within seconds. He tried to tell himself that it was the exercise he'd been doing that was now making him feel hot and sweaty when he looked at her surprised face as handed her part of her broken lens. She thanked him without really looking at him and then exclaimed in disappointment when she saw the damage to her camera, a little frown forming in the crease between her eyebrows.

"Ah, I know some people who can fix that or replace it if you want help," Jungkook offered weakly, clearing his throat and stepping back a little, feeling awkward and way less cool than he'd hoped.

She finally looked up at his face and he saw the moment of recognition in her eyes, but surprisingly didn't say anything about his identity. She looked back down at her camera lens mournfully and gave him in a slightly sad smile.

"Ah, no that's okay." She bowed to him. "Thank you. It's sweet to offer."

Jungkook, thoroughly flustered by her for reasons he didn't understand, didn't really know what to say after that.

"It's no trouble," he murmured, clearing his throat before offering his help again, just making sure that she really didn't want help.

She looked back up at him and gave him a grateful smile.

"It's not your fault. It was my own clumsiness, so don't worry about it." She held out her hand. "I'm Ella."

He stared at her hand a moment before she awkwardly pulled it back and blushed, rubbing her elbow with her hand.

"Sorry, I grew up overseas," she murmured, looking to the side.

He cleared his throat and discreetly wiped his hand on his shorts before he tried to give her a friendly smile and offer his own hand so she wouldn't feel uncomfortable, briefly slipping into professional idol mode so that he could figure out how to talk.

"It's okay. I'm Jungkook," he introduced himself.

She gave him a bright smile as she took his hand, seeming to be happy her embarrassment at offering to shake hands instead of a bow wasn't offensive to him.

"It's nice to meet you," they spoke in unison, stared at each other in surprise and then laughed, embarrassed and awkward, as they shook hands.

"Well - " Ella took her hand back first and gave a small shrug, gesturing to her camera. "I guess I'll pack up now. Thank you for helping me."

"Ah, ah - good luck," Jungkook said, awkwardly, returning to his usual shy self.

Ella nodded and bowed politely and then he hesitated to say something else before he saw her looking at him and waiting. When he stayed silent and it became weird, she just turned awkwardly and walked away. He let out a breath as she did, going back to where he'd left his things and taking a gulp of his water.

"That made me feel sorry for you," Do Hyun said, appearing beside him.

Jungkook scoffed and took another drink of water.

"Shut up," he muttered.

Do Hyun laughed.

* * *

Ella curled up on her couch, hugging her cushion and tucking her feet under her and turning on the television, flipping through the channels until she saw a familiar face and paused, her stomach turning with butterflies. BTS was performing a comeback stage and Ella still couldn't believe hat she had actually seen, met, and spoken to Jungkook - the Jungkook who was on her television performing. It was surreal. She watched their performance with awe, recalling how different Jungkook had seemed in person compared to the stage presence he had.

She giggled a little recalling his uncertainty and awkwardness. It was endearing and cute. She couldn't help but feel there was so much more to him, considering the masculine energy that radiated off him when he was working out. She cleared her throat and glanced away from the television when he appeared on screen again, a little self-conscious of the direction her thoughts were heading.

She had no idea that the gym she'd made a partnership with through her management was actually fairly exclusive and frequented by celebrities. Some of the people she'd seen in the gym were huge stars that she was a big fan of. Ella had controlled herself, but she felt hugely inadequate whenever she saw them, so it helped to temper her inner fangirl. She was a minor blip on the celebrity radar, so she kept her head down and did her work and her workouts.

The day Jungkook entered the gym she wasn't the only one who noticed. BTS was so massive with such a huge base of fans that everyone was eventually drawn into them. Ella had been a fan since a year or two after their debut when she'd moved to Korea. She hadn't expected Jungkook to speak to her, ever. She was just another patron in the gym after all, and he was one of the biggest stars on the planet. She was more than happy admiring from afar and cheering him on. But then he'd helped her, and she'd been so shocked it had been hard to keep her composure. Ella realised that he really was as nice as he appeared on the screen. Not to mention that he was even more good looking in person, but aside from that obvious fact, he just had a really nice atmosphere around him. She sighed and watched the rest of their performance, wondering if they'd ever speak again.

Just as Jungkook had never considered how a single moment could change his life, Ella didn't think on it either. A crush on a celebrity was normal, she had no reason to think about it any deeper than that.

* * *

When Ella's dreams of being a dancer were shattered along with her hip bone in the car accident eight years earlier, she was devastated until she found new dreams while she was undergoing rehabilitation. Health and fitness became a major part of her life, and all she knew was that she wanted to somehow be performing and on stage. She'd never be as good a dancer as she wanted to be because of her injuries and her singing was good but not special, so that left her with acting and modeling, and all her focus turned to that.

Ella's parents had left Korea before she and her sister were born, at first for her fathers work with plans to return at some point. But they fell in love with their new home in Sydney and decided not to return. Neither of them had much family left, both their parents passed early and all they had were distant cousins they didn't speak with much. It had been a surprise to them when Ella had suddenly announced she wanted to move to Korea to finish high school and pursue her dreams. It had taken weeks of convincing, but she'd finally done it and moved.

The first years living permanently in Korea had been hard. She didn't make many friends in high school but strangely became friends with a girl she didn't speak too much until after graduation. Yuna was attending university and working part-time while Ella studied online and was always supporting her. When Ella was first signed to her agency, Yuna asked her father, a lawyer, to check the contract over for her, and when Ella had her first shoot, Yuna came to visit her on set. Ella owed a lot to her.

Now that she was an established online celebrity with over half a million followers and had been featured in magazines for her 'trendy' and 'chic' style, Ella's modeling was beginning to take off as well, but her agency was small and she struggling to aide her to break into acting. But they had gotten her a book deal with a celebrity chef, which was something. Still, she didn't give up on her other ambitions. In the mornings, to ensure she kept in shape, Ella woke up and went for a walk with her music for an hour before returning home, having breakfast and then going to the gym.

Three days after watching Jungkook on the television, she was not expecting to see him at the gym again. So when she packing her bag up to leave and talking to Do Hyun about their upcoming announcement and photoshoots, to see him suddenly appear beside her was shocking.

"Ah, Jungkook. You're here," Do Hyun greeted him with a half-hug.

Ella swallowed her nerves and gave him a small bow, barely managing eye contact as her heart rate increased.

"I just dropped by because I left my headphones last time," Jungkook replied, clearing his throat.

Do Hyun went to retrieve them, leaving them alone, and Ella stood awkwardly beside him, trying to seem nervous until he cleared his throat and greeted her before he asked after her camera lens.

"Ah, it was cheaper to buy a new one," she answered with a small shrug. "But thank you again for your help."

"If you need something else, uh, I know a lot about cameras and know a lot of people who, uh, use them daily. You can ask me," he said, his voice getting quieter as he spoke. Ella leaned forward slightly to hear him and then was startled back when he suddenly outburst with, "but I'll be gone and traveling soon…"

He trailed off and cleared his throat awkwardly. Ella, realising he was as nervous as she was, gave him a gentle smile.

"Thank you," she said to him. "You really don't need to offer all of this though, you didn't have anything to do with it breaking, that was my own clumsiness. You've been so kind."

She looked at her sports watch, she needed to get home to finish some work. Do Hyun reappeared with a small box of lost belongings.

"I see you've met," he said.

Ella smiled and nodded.

"Yes. He's been kindly offering to help me out," she said. "I need to get going. I'll call you to talk about the shoot," she said to Do Hyun who gave her a friendly nod. She turned to Jungkook. "Good luck for your schedules," she bowed slightly and then left.

Once outside in the fresh air she breathed out shakily.

"I think that was good and normal," she muttered under her breath, satisfied and unaware of the looks from the passengers inside black sedan pulled up by the curb waiting for the guy she'd just been talking too.

* * *

It took all his courage to talk to her, and he watched her go feeling lamer than he ever had before. His brain had gone into some kind of haze while talking and he wasn't entirely sure what had happened. But he did know that Ella was apparently as nice as she looked because she hadn't looked at him strangely or with pity or confusion during his brain-melt. Jungkook slowly let out a self-admonishing sigh before Do Hyun chuckled and held out his headphones.

"I want to make fun of you, but I think that would be too cruel right now," he grinned.

Jungkook thanked him for the headphones and left. He was a seven-year idol and definitely should be better at talking to people by now, but his brain and mouth refused to work together around her. For some reason, he couldn't calm down his beating heart or get the smell of her perfume or the blush on her cheeks out of his head. He got back in the car.

"Hey, Jungkookie, do you know who that girl was?" Jimin asked.

Jungkook frowned.

"What girl?" He closed the door behind him and the manager drove off.

"The one who just came out of the gym," Jimin answered. He held up his phone and showed him a social media profile. Jungkook's eyes widened when he saw it was Ella. "I've been following her for ages. She's very cool and posts some nice recipes too.

He saw her follower count and scrolled through her pictures. She looked just as good, if not better, in person. She was like Taehyung, he realised.

"Wow, I didn't know you went to the same gym as her," Jimin took back his phone. "I'll come with you next time."

"Ah, no," Jungkook retorted immediately.

Jimin grinned and raised an eyebrow and Jungkook scoffed.

"I didn't mean it like that," he murmured. "She's nice."

Jimin's eyes widened.

"Ah, so you have talked to her," he exclaimed.

"A little. She broke her camera," Jungkook mumbled.

Jimin chuckled.

"Manager, did you hear that? Jungkookie's finally growing up and noticing girls," Jimin teased.

Their manager chuckled and Jungkook rolled his eyes.

* * *

Ella was not stupid, but she was feeling a little stupid. She prided herself on being mature, on putting aside emotional responses in favour of logic and rationale, and she was always trying to improve as a person: to be friendly and kind and live well. Generally, she thought that she was doing well as a person, although the road was bumpy at times. Things were going well for her, and she didn't want to mess it up with any distractions.

She hadn't imagined that after two brief interactions she'd find herself feeling an odd sensation, almost like longing, to talk to him again. She'd done well to keep her cool despite her heart pounding when they spoke. He'd drifted from her mind while she'd been working, but was somehow always in the background ready to come out of nowhere again. Especially when she was laying in bed and ready to sleep. The way he seemed flustered when they spoke made her feel warm, and she couldn't imagine anyone else not thinking that he was adorable. She tried to be arrogant and think that she was on the one who had caused him to act like he had, but she kept a tiny piece of that warmth for herself.

So Ella was not stupid, and she knew that she was only crushing on him because he was incredibly famous and she was a fan. Somehow, she felt awkward following accounts dedicated to BTS or the members now. Biting her lip as she laid on her bed, she reached for her phone and unfollowed a few fan accounts and deleted some pictures she'd had saved. Meeting Jungkook, in person, and speaking to him… It somehow made it different. With a sigh, Ella put her phone away and tucked herself into bed, telling herself that she was getting ahead of herself. Two small conversations meant nothing and it was almost certain they'd never talk again.

* * *

Ella dropped to the floor with a massive sigh of relief when the photographer called for a break and Do Hyun laughed, reaching down a hand to help her to her feet. Ella gratefully took it. Her body was exhausted from holding position after position and the repetitive exercises she had to do so they could get the perfect shot. A familiar song started playing over the speaker and Do Hyun pointed at the television.

"This the first time I'm seeing the MV," he said.

Ella turned and saw BTS's new song. She took a sip of water while she watched.

"It's good to see good people succeed," Do Hyun said.

Ella glanced at him and saw that he was looking at the screen with a proud and fond half-smile. Ella elbowed him and grinned.

"You look like their father," she teased.

Do Hyun burst out in laughter.

"Hey. I'm only a little older than Jin I'll have you know," he scoffed.

"I hope you'll look at me the same way when I make it big someday," she smiled.

Do Hyun's expression softened.

"I'll be the first in line to the ticket at your feature film," he said. "I'll bring Jungkookie with me. We can tell the media that we knew you from way back when."

Ella reddened and spluttered and then laughed.

"If you manage to convince him to do that, I'll bring you special tickets to the premiere myself," she laughed.

The song ended and the music changed and it was time for Ella to get back to work.

* * *

The dorm was quiet after a long day shooting. Yoongi was back at the studio, Namjoon and Jin had gone out for dinner with Jin's family and hadn't come back yet, and Taehyung, Hobi, and Jimin were all in their rooms. Jungkook's sat on the couch, the television on low but he wasn't paying attention to it. His knee bounced and he looked around in boredom. He was tired but restless, unable to go to bed or close his eyes for sleep. He needed to move, to do something to get out his excess energy although he didn't know why he had excess energy in the first place. His fingers twitched and he wondered if he should go play so games, but somehow he didn't feel like it. Instead, Jungkook stood and paced around the living room for a little while, lunging and stretching until he walked to his room, threw on a dark hoodie, grabbed his wallet and phone and then headed into the bathroom to wash his face with some water.

"Jungkookie." Jimin appeared yawning at the doorway. "Where are you going?"

Jungkook eyed his pajama's with amusement, they were Chimmy patterned printed pants.

"Just for a walk," Jungkook replied, drying his face off and running his hands through his hair.

Jimin hummed and nodded, leaning against the doorframe.

"Do you want company?" He asked.

Jungkook shook his head.

"Nah, I'm just restless," he replied.

Jimin hummed tiredly as he fiddled with his hair a moment.

"Don't be too late and be safe."

Jungkook grinned and took a quick step over to him and got him in a headlock, and Jimin protested with punches to his back.

"Ahh you're such a good little Hyung," Jungkook chuckled.

"Get off me, you punk!" Jimin growled.

"Jungkook-ah, don't bully Jiminie," Hobi called out from his and Jimin's room.

Jungkook laughed and let him go, and Jimin glared at him before kicking him out of the bathroom. He left the dorm and headed out into the street through the private side exit. He pulled up his hood, put on his face mask, and put in his headphones playing some music while he walked without a real destination. Sometimes it was nice to just be out in the world.

The night air was cool but not cold. He was going to walk along Han River, but when he saw the amount of people there, he decided against it and kept to a more empty area. He didn't really want to be disturbed. After a little while, he started to crave something sweet. He took out his phone and searched for a shop, choosing one he hasn't gotten around to visiting yet a little bit of a walk away in an area he knew was usually pretty quiet.

He took a turn off the main road and down two dimly lit and quiet streets and found the almost empty cafe he'd been looking for. Through the window, he saw there was only an older couple seated together, and a girl on her laptop. He paused his music and headed inside. It was easy to tell when people recognised who he was, he saw the little light in the eyes of the barista. He gave a small smile and ordered a drink before looking to decide a place to sit down. His eyes roamed over the almost empty shop but did a double-take when he got a closer look at the girl on the laptop.

His heart hammered in his chest.

"Ella?"

He froze as her name just slipped out of his mouth. She snapped her head up in surprise and her eyes widened when she saw him before her face softened into a smile and he swallowed at the sight of it. The barista cleared her throat behind him and he took the drink, smiling when he saw the little 'fighting' message she'd written on the cup, and hesitatingly walked to Ella's table.

"This is a strange coincidence!" Ella said cheerily, having recovered from her surprise far quicker than he had.

She moved her laptop to the side and she proffered the seat across from him to sit down. Jungkook sat and nodded, feeling unsure of what to say and getting overcome with his usual shyness.

"Well, it's nice to see you when neither of us is covered in sweat," she said, trying to converse with him.

Jungkook chuckled nervously and took a long drink, swallowing the sweetness and attempting to swallow his nervousness with it. They sat in awkward silence for a moment before he started to panic and looked around to find something to talk about. He really didn't want to look like a fool in front of her again. He glanced at her laptop.

"Sorry if I interrupted you," he apologised in a quiet voice.

"Don't worry, you're not interrupting. I needed a break anyway," she answered, stretching her arms out wide before bringing them back into her lap.

"What - what were you doing?" He asked. "If you don't mind me asking," he added hastily.

"Oh, well, I run a blog," she said, tucking some hair behind her ear like she was embarrassed. "I came out for a change of scenery. I was just editing some content and checking emails."

"Ah, that's why you were filming in the gym," he said.

She nodded.

"It's a little embarrassing," she giggled nervously. "But it's part of my job." She looked at him a moment. "I'm sorry, but I really need to get this off my chest! I didn't want to make you feel uncomfortable at the gym, but I'm actually a big fan." Her facing turned a little red. "So uh, thanks for the music and ah, good luck for the future and stuff…Fighting."

Jungkook grinned widely at the adorable cheer she gave and blushed a little at how cute she was and happy he was to know that she was a fan.

"Thank you," he answered, a little shyly. "And thank you for being considerate," he murmured. "Not everyone is like that."

"It must be hard sometimes."

Usually, Jungkook would give a half-truth and turn the answer into a joke or lighten it up, but somehow he just didn't feel like he needed to do that with Ella. There was a calmness and openness to her at that moment that made him want to just be himself.

"Sometimes," he answered honestly, and tiredly, giving a little grimace.

"Well, at least we're sitting in a place where people can't see your face," she said, looking around. "And there's no one really here aside from me and the barista who keeps looking at the back of your head, it's like a little moment of freedom for you."

She smiled and he smiled back.

"So your blog…is it good?" Jungkook asked.

"Well, I like to think so," she answered brightly. "My following has grown a lot over the last six months and I've been contracted to work with a few companies, so I think other people agree with me."

"Ah!" He exclaimed, remembering about the last time he'd seen her. She looked startled. "Jimin follows you!"

Ella stared at him.

"Eh?!"

She was shocked and Jungkook shook his head in amazement.

"He said you have cool food ideas. He cooks them sometimes," he told her.

After a few more seconds of silence, Ella suddenly babbling in English and it was so startling that Jungkook didn't understand a thing she said. Suddenly she clapped her hand over her mouth in embarrassment and apologised, speaking in Korean again.

"I'm sorry! I grew up overseas and sometimes it just comes out," she explained and then giggled. "Sorry."

Jungkook realised he had his mouth hanging open a moment before he laughed and told her not to apologise he was just surprised. Finally, he could ask her about some of the things he'd been wondering about, like growing up overseas and about her name.

"Sydney was great, but I prefer living here more. My family don't want to move back to Korea, that's why they gave me and my sister western names," she explained.

"That's amazing," he said honestly. "I really enjoy traveling and seeing new places, but I'm always happier coming home. I'm still struggling to learn English."

Ella smiled.

"From what I see on the internet, you're doing fine," she told him and he felt warm from the praise. She suddenly looked embarrassed. "Is that weird? I'm sorry, I don't want to make you uncomfortable by bringing that kind of thing up! Oh, I feel like a stalker now."

She covered her face with her hands. Jungkook normally would feel a little uncomfortable in conversations like this, but he found himself laughing at her flustered appearance.

"It's fine," he assured her, shrugging. "That's just part of being an idol, people see things online."

Ella ducked her head, clearly still embarrassed. He felt his pocket vibrate and pulled out his phone. Jimin was calling him.

"Sorry," he said to Ella.

She made a motion to go ahead.

"Hyung, what is it?" Jungkook answered.

"_It's late,_" Jimin said. "_Just checking in. Are you coming back_?"

He glanced at Ella and then away.

"Sorry, I lost track of time," he answered.

"_Do you want me to send someone to pick you up_?"

Jungkook looked up at Ella and then told Jimin to hold on.

"It's late," he said to Ella, putting a hand over the phone receiver. "How are you getting home?"

She seemed surprised by his question.

"Oh. I don't live too far, I was just going to walk," she answered.

"_Who are you talking too?_" Jimin asked.

"I'll take you home," Jungkook said, frowning at Ella. "It's dangerous, even if you live close by."

Ella shook her head strongly.

"No, no. Really, it's okay."

Jungkook smiled.

"_Is that a girl!?_" Jimin exclaimed loudly. Jungkook heard someone in the background.

"Jimin, can you ask Jin-hyung to come so I can take my - " he hesitated a second, "- friend home safely too?"

Ella's face flushed red and she shook her head.

"It's really okay - "

"_Send me your location, we'll be there soon_."

Jimin hung up and Jungkook put his phone down. Ella was staring at him.

"Thank you but you really didn't need to go out of your way," she said, seeming distressed.

Jungkook wondered if he'd made a mistake. He cleared his throat.

"Ah, sorry. Jimin - Jiminie's a fan of your blog, so I thought it would be a surprise for him to meet you," he said, hastily coming up with a lie that wasn't really that much of a lie.

She looked down at the table, and Jungkook couldn't help but notice how long her eyelashes were.

"Okay," she answered in a small voice. She seemed to take a deep breath and then lifted her head up and smiled at him, though he could see she was forcing it a little. "Well, I can't believe you've ever seen my blog before," she said.

Desperate to make her comfortable again, he tried to joke.

"I can't believe you're a fan," he said with a grin.

She made a face and giggled.

"You do know your group is a global phenomenon, right?"

He laughed and shrugged. Ella began to pack up her things, and while they waited, the tension lifted and they talked easily together, changing from joking about Jungkook lying about Jimin being a fan of her blog, to her teaching him some English words and discussing where they'd like to travel for a holiday. Jungkook almost forgot about Jimin coming, he had been enjoying himself so much until his phone buzzed again with Jimin's message that he was waiting for them outside.

He and Ella got up to leave, but not before the barista asked for an autograph. He gave her one on a napkin, declined the photo with her as politely as he could, and he and Ella both thanked her for her service and headed to Jimin's car. Ella seemed tense again and Jungkook swallowed, wondering what to say to make her more at ease. Jin put down the window as they approached and he and Jimin gave Jungkook a look before asking to be introduced to Jungkook's 'friend' who was a girl.

"Hyungs, this is my friend from the gym, Ella," he said, clearing his throat.

Ella bowed deeply to both Jin and Jimin, who gave Jungkook an amused look, before smiling politely to her.

"It's nice to meet a friend of Jungkookie's," Jin said.

"Wow, so you're Ella! I wanted to meet you earlier but we didn't have time to get to the gym again," Jimin smiled, glancing at Jungkook who looked away.

"Ah, thank you," Ella stammered.

"Let's get going." Jimin pressed the button for the window.

"Told you I wasn't lying," he grinned to Ella, who gave him a mildly excited and bewildered look and smile.

Jungkook opened the backdoor for Ella. She clutched her bag to her chest tightly and hesitatingly apologised to his hyungs for the inconvenience she thought she was causing them. Jin, always friendly, joked that it was the biggest problem in the universe, making Ella giggle, and Jimin turned in his seat smiled at Ella as Jungkook slid into the seat beside her.

"It's not a problem," Jimin said. "I told Jungkook that I'd check in with him, so you're not imposing anything. Jin-hyung wanted to get some food anyway. It's not safe for a girl as pretty as you to walk around at night alone."

Jungkook rolled his eyes at the outburst of Jimin's charm and obvious lie about Jin wanting food, and Ella blushed and thanked him quietly. She suddenly gasped and handed Jimin her phone, telling him it was the map to her house. Jungkook was impressed that she was so prepared and acted so considerately to his hyungs. Jin and Jimin thanked her.

Jimin told Jin about Ella's blog, while Ella blushed beside him, then he asked her some questions, and although Jungkook could see she was nervous, she was just as friendly as she had been with him. Jin was amazed that she loved food and peppered her with questions until they arrived, and then for ten minutes after they arrived. Finally, Jungkook had to tell Jin to stop annoying her and he opened the door for her to leave.

"Make sure you post more yummy recipes!" Jimin told Ella. "We'll try and cook them and Jungkookie can tell you the results."

Ella smiled.

"Thank you very much for driving me home," she bowed to them. "Please rest well and have a nice evening."

Jungkook hesitated and then stepped out and closed the door.

"I'll walk you," he said, shoving his hands in his pockets.

"Ah, no, no."

She crossed her hands over in an X. Jungkook blinked in surprise.

"My landlady is really strict about visitors…" she leaned in and whispered, "but she's a really big fan of yours. I don't want to give her a heart attack."

Ella gave him an apologetic smile.

"Thanks for taking me home. It was nice talking today…I hope we can do it again one day."

She waved and turned, walking down the street. He watched her go until he heard a knock on the window and the window come down a little.

"Wow. Jungkookie's so grown up, huh?" Jimin teased.

He rolled his eyes and opened the door, sliding into the back.

"Whatever," he muttered. "I barely know her."

Jimin laughed loudly and delightedly.

"She's cute, and she seemed nice," Jimin said.

Jungkook suppressed a smile of agreement.

"I guess," he replied indifferently.

He met eyes with Jin in the mirror and saw that he wasn't in an overly joking mood. He averted his eyes, and Jin stayed quiet.

"I've never seen you blush like that before," Jimin commented slyly.

"I wasn't blushing!" Jungkook denied.

Jimin laughed again and shook his head.

"Ah, you're finally experiencing the springtime of life. I'm so proud," he said.

"Oh, shut up," Jungkook groaned, but he couldn't hold back his smile.

"Why didn't you say you were meeting with a girl?" Jin asked him.

"I didn't meet her. It was a coincidence," Jungkook said. "I've only ever seen her at the gym."

"And you're sure she didn't follow you?" Jin questioned.

"Only if she could see the future," Jungkook answered with annoyance, giving him a sharp glance through the mirror. "She'd been in the cafe for ages before I got there."

"You worry too much, Jin-hyung," Jimin said. "She's like a celebrity too."

Jungkook looked out the window as they drove.

"Well, she did seem nice," Jin admitted.

"I didn't expect her to be a famous blogger, and she's about the same age as you, I think," Jimin said. "She has good food on her blog. Have you seen it, Jungkook?"

"No," Jungkook answered. "Only what you've shown me."

He yawned as they pulled into the parking. As they walked back into the building, Jin put his arm around Jungkook's shoulders.

"I just want to make sure we all make new friends with good people. Especially women," he said with a knowing tone. Jungkook rolled his eyes. "Let me be protective of my little Jungkookie."

Jungkook elbowed him in the side and Jin tightened his grip on his shoulders.

"I get it," he said. "Let me go."

"Never!" Jin laughed.

They wrestled until Jungkook escaped his grip and ran off into the dorm.

* * *

If Ella was dreaming, she wouldn't have been surprised because the last two hours had been just like a dream, or something from a movie. Meeting not just one, but three members of one of the biggest idol groups in the world was not normal. She'd only just gotten used to the idea of seeing Jungkook at the gym, now she'd met Jin and Jimin, and they'd been nice to her and even knew about her blog and followed her online.

Ella walked slowly to her house after leaving Jungkook. Her every step felt like she was walking on air and the shocked smile wouldn't leave her face. She barely heard her landlady open her door as Ella walked up the stairs and scold her for being so late. She closed her door behind her and locked it before leaning back, sliding down and sitting on the floor in utter disbelief. Her heart was hammering in her chest and her hands were sweating and she had never felt so elated.

Once she had a moment to fully process the evening, she smiled to herself and bit her bottom lip and then giggled. She was excited and thrilled to have met Jin and Jimin, who had been a little suspicious of her which she accepted without question. Still, Jimin followed her and that knowledge made her entire life.

But then there was a sliver of worry that shot into her chest and her smile fell. The worry came from the fact that as giddy as she felt about Jin and Jimin, she realised quickly that it was seeing Jungkook that made her feel the most of anything. She couldn't even put a name to the feelings, just that there were a lot of them and that she understood enough to know that her silly little celebrity crush was heading in a dangerous direction, especially after how well they'd gotten along. That in itself had been surprising, amazing, and was now terrifying her a little.

With her mood now deflated, Ella picked herself up off the floor and put away her things and changed into her pajamas. She sat on her couch and hugged her cushion to her chest before she threw it away from her before she groaned and put her face in her hands.

"Pull yourself together, Ella. Get it together. There's nothing happening and you're overreacting to literally nothing."

But she couldn't stop thinking about Jungkook. She'd been so shocked when he'd called her name in the coffee shop, and then even though she'd seen how awkward and uncertain he'd been, he still sat with her. He easily could have sat alone or left, his drink was in a to-go cup, but he'd sat with her and talked to her.

It had been weird at first, and she struggled to stop showing how nervous she was and tried to be as friendly as she could be so he would feel more at ease, but then it was easy and comfortable and Ella felt like they could've talked for hours longer. When she looked at him and spoke to him, she didn't feel like he was so far away, and the more she thought about that, the scarier it became. Because Jungkook of BTS was far away. He was at the top of the pyramid while she was working her way up from the underground to reach the bottom floor. Even if they ever met again, nothing could or would happen between them, so there was no point in thinking about the impossible.


	2. Chapter 2

**CHAPTER TWO**

Jungkook threw himself into work so he could ignore the little voice in the back of his head that was laughing wryly at how far in denial he was about Ella. Three times they'd met and spoken, just three times. How was she constantly on his mind? He had constantly been remembering her sweet smile or how friendly she was or the curve of her neck or the swaying of her hips when she walked away. It was ridiculous. As a singer, of course, he'd heard countless songs about it, but for the first time in his life, he was never going to admit that he was only now beginning to understand the 'at first sight' idea of falling for someone.

He had to force himself to stay off his phone and look her up. Now that he knew her name and her work he had every chance to drown in content of her. But he didn't, not even when Jimin showed him posts or anything. Do Hyun sent him a photo and video of their shooting at the gym, to which he replied with an annoyed face, but still saved the photo of her, and then sighed heavily and put his phone away.

With schedules in Japan for the next week, they had a lot to finish before they left, so he didn't get a chance to go to the gym again. Not that he was avoiding seeing her, but he thought it would be better if he didn't meet her. Just in case his crush grew bigger than he was willing to let it.

When Jungkook woke up in the morning, apparently Jimin had seen the photo of her on his phone, and there was one thing that Jungkook could always count on with his hyungs: secrets were impossible. The grins that they all gave him were annoying him enough that his mood became sullen and irritated enough that even their manager began tiptoeing around him. He was sorry for that but even his guilt couldn't pull him from his mood.

The dorm was busy since they didn't have a morning schedule because they were leaving for schedules in Japan in the afternoon. They were packed up and in their vans on the way to the airport, but Jungkook hadn't spoken a word to anyone. He only paid attention when the fans started screaming and he had to wave to them for a moment. He could feel the eyes on the rest of his team on him but ignored them until he was forced to communicate on the plane.

Once they were all on the plane and the managers had put their camera's away, Jungkook couldn't escape his hyungs. Instead of communicating with them, he connected to the Wi-Fi, kept his music loud and gave in to the urge to scroll through Ella's blog and socials. He didn't realise he was smiling as he did so until he felt someone standing behind and saw Jimin looking over his shoulder at his phone with a knowing grin on his face. He switched off his phone immediately and glared.

"Aish, you're too self-conscious," Jimin sighed.

Jungkook couldn't help it. He didn't understand what they were getting so worked up about and he didn't want to be teased because there really wasn't anything to be teased about. Ella was just his friend - not even that, an acquaintance, who knew from the gym and who he'd coincidentally met at a cafe. His sour mood didn't subside, and even he knew that he needed to snap out of it.

In the hotel that evening, he tried to work out his mood during dance practice. Hobi led them through, but he wasn't happy with how he was moving and even scolded him. Jungkook felt rigid and asked for a break to go to the bathroom and try to snap out of his head. It was much easier to pretend when cameras were on him, but as soon as it was just the members and their closest staff, he couldn't hold back his true feelings. Every one of them had gone through it before, but he'd never felt it so strongly and never over light teasing over a girl he barely knew. He went to the toilet and splashed water on his face, telling himself to get over it. On his return, he paused outside the door when he heard the members talking inside and heard his name. He waited to listen to what they were saying.

"He's really worked up," Hobi said. "Stop pushing him, you know Jungkook doesn't like to talk about these things much."

"He's just being sensitive, it's only teasing," Jimin complained.

"Jungkookie doesn't talk to girls much, it's just new for us," Tae said. "He should open up more."

"Ai, why don't you think about it from his point of view," Jin defended Jungkook. "He's probably embarrassed."

Jungkook grit his teeth and opened the door, walking into the room glaring at them. Tae and Jimin both looked at him with surprise and then frowned, and Hobi and Jin both seemed resigned.

"Jungkook - "

Hobi was cut off when their managers stepped forward. Jungkook could see the concern on his face, and the manager looked at him for a moment before telling them that the should go back to their rooms and rest up. It had been a long day and he would be in better spirits the next day, which was more of a warning than a mere comment.

Jungkook didn't look at the others, feeling a little guilty that the manager had to step in, and took the script he was offered for their events. He thanked the staff for their hard work and left. He was thankful for their intervention; sometimes the managers knew how to handle those situations better than the members. He just needed to be alone for a little while and sent a message to the manager thanking him and apologising for his attitude.

An hour later there was a knock at his door.

"Jungkook-ah, it's Jin."

Jungkook sighed and put the script on his bed, rolled over onto his feet and went to let him in. Jin came into the room and sat at the chair by the desk while Jungkook laid back on his bed again.

"Did you come to scold me? I thought Namjoonie would come first," Jungkook murmured.

"I told him I'd come," Jin replied. "You're not a little kid anymore, you don't need to be scolded unless you start being really stupid. Right now you're just being kind of stupid. You know they're just teasing, it's not something to get worked up about."

Jungkook stayed quiet, he knew Jin was right, and now he was calmed down, he was feeling ashamed of his attitude.

"Come on, Jungkook. Don't be like that, talk to your most handsome and favourite hyung."

Jungkook smiled a little.

"Wow. You're still going to stay silent, huh? What an attitude. Wow. I'm so amazed," Jin complained.

Jungkook held back his laughter and threw a pillow at Jin, who gave him his most shocked and betrayed expression and Jungkook laughed at him.

"Yah! Now you're laughing, you punk?" Jin exclaimed. "Wow. Young people these days."

"Does that make you an old man?" Jungkook teased.

Jin threw the pillow back at him.

"Finally he speaks!"

Jungkook rolled his eyes and put his pillow back behind him and laid down again.

"What are you upset about? You know they're just teasing you," Jin repeated.

Jungkook twisted his mouth.

"I don't know," he muttered. "It's just annoying."

Jin hummed.

"I guess you must really like her then," he said.

Jungkook sat up.

"Why does everyone keep saying that?" He asked, annoyed again. "I barely know her."

"What does that matter. When you like someone, you like them," he shrugged. "You can't control that. Sometimes you only need to meet someone once to get along."

Jungkook looked over to the wall and pouted silently. He knew that was true, he'd only needed to meet Ella briefly to know he wanted to know her more.

"You should talk to Jimin and Taehyung," Jin said. "Taehyungie is sensitive about this stuff too. He doesn't like fighting with any of us. Don't let this be bigger and cause a real problem. No one is worth fighting with your brothers."

Jungkook looked back at him and gave a nod. He agreed, Bangtan was family.

"Fine," he murmured.

Jin stood walked over and rubbed his head, mussing his head hard and Jungkook knocked his arm away. Jin laughed and left, calling out for Jimin and Taehyung, who were apparently waiting outside the door. Jungkook folded over his chest and stared at them until Jimin pulled the bag he'd been holding behind his back and gave it to Jungkook. It was filled with snacks he liked and Jungkook looked at it and then them, and grinned. They came into his room and complained about how he'd acted all day long before they started talking about anything else that came to mind, and Jungkook felt his mood lift the more he saw his brothers laugh.

* * *

Ella stared at her manager with shock.

"I don't understand, what does this mean?" She asked, swallowing thickly.

Her manager took a deep breath.

"There are two companies the CEO is in discussion with at the moment, whoever takes over will be legally bound to honour existing contracts. Both companies are far larger with much bigger connections. If your contract is renewed you'll have more opportunities."

"If," Ella said slowly. "If it's renewed."

"Which is why," he took out several documents and slid them over to her. Ella frowned as she pulled them closer. "I've worked damn hard to book these jobs for you. If you want to impress the new company, whoever they end up being, you need a bigger and higher profile portfolio."

Ella quickly shuffled through the jobs and her eyes widened as she read some of the brands and partnerships being offered. Her eyes welled up a little and she looked up, overwhelmed at the amount of information she'd just received.

"This is - thank you so much," she said, choking up a little. "I'll do everything. I'll take all of it. I'll work hard."

Manager Ahn nodded and gave a tired smile.

"I thought you'd say that," he said, handing her another stapled document. "This is your schedule for the next month, with weekly and daily breakdowns. You need to be in your best condition, you'll have no time for anything but work and you have no days off."

Ella nodded determinedly.

"I'll pick you up for every schedule. Do you have enough content for your blog for scheduled posting?"

Ella frowned thoughtfully.

"Enough for two weeks," she said slowly.

"You have three days to make more," he told her. He nodded at the contracts. "Read them now, sign them now. You're already booked, I got you the best deals I could squeeze out of them. Right now you need those brands more than they need you, so don't complain if the pay isn't as much as you'd like. One day, they'll be begging you to work for them."

Ella smiled.

"Have I ever told you how much I appreciate you?"

He scoffed.

"You could stand to do it more."

* * *

With the Japan schedule done, BTS returned to Seoul for broadcast after broadcast, meaning they spent days at studios doing nothing much but waiting for their time for filming and no time to go to the gym. When he wasn't on stage Jungkook had a growing sense that he wanted to talk to Ella. His mind drifted to pleasant thoughts, like how comfortable and easy it was to talk to Ella. Or how much he liked how she smiled, and that when she walked she looked like she could dance. Jungkook didn't think he'd even been so observant to a girl before, but he seemed to have noticed so much about her during their surprise meeting, and now he was greedy to know more.

He thought about it for a few days, arriving in Malaysia for a short Asia tour before he decided to contact her. He almost asked Jimin what he should say, but decided to keep it to himself. He didn't want to expose himself to more teasing. The only method he had to speak to her was through her blog. He'd scrolled through it a few times, checking out her content and watching some videos. He thought it was pretty good, her pictures were nice and her videos were funny, but everything had a positive message and since he'd met and spoken to her, none of her posts felt inauthentic to him.

While he was on her socials, she posted a new video.

"_Hey guys, I hope you're all living well and healthy! I just wanted to make a quick post to apologise for being quiet for the last few days, but I have some exciting news that will, unfortunately, mean I'll be a little quiet for a while longer. I've actually just signed some deals to work with some awesome companies and do some really cool but secret work that will keep me really, really busy. I'll do my best to keep you all updated and I have some scheduled content to hold you all over until I come back properly. Please wish me luck, and I know you'll all be so excited when I finally get to reveal what I'll be working on!_"

Jungkook was interested, he wanted to know what she was doing. He went back to her blog and clicked on the contact page, typed in his details and then typed his message. His fingers shook and heart raced as his mouse hovered over the send button a moment before he pressed send and immediately closed his phone like it was going to start burning or something.

An hour later he checked his email for a reply…and the next day…and every time he didn't have a response from her he grew more and more anxious to the point that people asked him if he was okay. He laughed the questions away. Of course, he was fine, he was not going to let this affect him to the point people got worried about him. It was just an email to a person who was not quite a friend, after all. She was busy too, according to her video, so maybe she hadn't seen it.

So when he was scrolling his phone and saw the notification for a new email whilst getting his hair done for their broadcast, he couldn't help the immediate rise in his heart rate. Off to the side, Hobi was filming with the other members, and he glanced at them to make sure of - well, he wasn't sure exactly, but he knew he didn't want a camera in his face at that moment. Jungkook's stylist told him he was ready and he struggled to keep the anxious smile off his face while he rushed to sit in a corner of the room and read the email.

_Hello Jungkook. I'm so sorry I didn't see this earlier. I'm doing well, very busy and very tired, but happy and excited. How are you? Are you keeping up with your exercise regime? Don't slack off or I'll get stronger than you! Hehe. I saw some posts from your schedules, you all look great. Stay healthy! Fighting! Ella._

It was simple, but he could imagine her saying this to him and that brought a grin to his face. He bit down on his lip as he reread the message and immediately typed out a response to her.

_Ella - I am well and healthy, don't worry about me. I really doubt you'll be stronger than me, but you can try. I'm not slacking off -_

Suddenly there was a camera in his face and Jungkook blinked and hid his phone automatically while Hobi filmed with him. Jungkook gave Hobi a look after a few moments that Hobi understood as go away, and Jimin came over. Jungkook took out his phone and started to email Ella again.

"Who are you talking too?" He asked.

Jungkook glanced at him and then murmured her name. Jimin gave a soft chuckle and then told him to tell her that he sends his greetings.

"How did you get her number?" He asked.

_\- I'll post something to prove it. Thank you for being our fan. Jimin says hello. JK._

He finished the message and sent it before putting his phone away again.

"I didn't. It's through her email on her blog," he answered quietly.

Jimin smiled, but it wasn't the teasing one he'd been giving Jungkook. Instead, it was genuine and Jungkook felt slightly uncomfortable about it.

"Good for you, Jungkookie," he said, patting his shoulder.

The camera was there again and Hobi was joking about them having a bromance moment and Jungkook joined in the laughter and content for Bangtan TV, distracting himself from Ella and preparing for the broadcast which was in thirty-five minutes, dipping into his professional mindset. But after the concert and back at the hotel, he was thinking about Ella again. He and Taehyung made a clip in the hotel gym and posted it to Twitter, and the next morning Jungkook woke up to a reply from Ella.

_Hello to you too, Jimin. Wow, your clip was so funny I laughed out loud! I'm sure ARMYs were very happy to see you having fun while you keep healthy and fit. Ah - please let Jimin know that I have some new recipes coming soon like he asked - and can I let you guys in on a secret? Promise you won't tell anyone? Ah, I wonder if it would be better to talk over the phone instead of email? I'm afraid I might miss one since I have a lot most days to go through and I barely have time to relax lately. It's okay if you don't feel comfortable sharing it. Email is good too, I'll just set a special reminder for any incoming emails from your address. Fighting! Ella._

She added her details to the email, and Jungkook stared sleepily at it for a little while until it registered that a girl had just given him her number. And not just any girl, but the girl he kinda maybe liked a little bit. As excited as that made him, he was also hit with his own reality and left his phone on the bedside table while he went to the bathroom, trying to decide what to do. He didn't give out his private details, ever, really. It was too risky for his privacy. But Ella…when he thought about it, she felt like someone he'd known for longer than he actually had. Besides, she wasn't exactly just a normal citizen either, she was a model and blogger, getting more and more popular.

He tiredly washed his face. The more he thought about it, the more he leaned toward an answer. He had never felt like Ella had pushed something on him, or asked for something from him. From the things she'd said and done, she'd never been anything other than considerate of him and friendly. He hadn't felt as comfortable with new people as he had with her, maybe ever. He changed his clothes for breakfast and grabbed his phone, sitting on the bed and then saved her number. He wouldn't send her a message yet, but at least if he saved it he had the choice. He considered asking his hyungs for advice but decided against it. He didn't want to give them any ammunition for teasing or add to their worries. But… he sighed when he thought harder about it. He should tell Namjoon at the very least, just in case something happened he knew about it. Not that Jungkook could even imagine something bad happening.

After breakfast, he went to Namjoon's room. Namjoon and Yoongi were in there.

"Do whatever you want," Yoongi said with a shrug after Jungkook awkwardly explained the situation. "She said you can use email if you don't want to give your details, and she gave hers to give you the choice. It's not like the email you used is your actual address, so no harm is done either way."

Namjoon agreed, telling him to trust his instincts. Jungkook went back to his room slowly and thoughtfully.

_It's me…Phone is easier than email. This might be awkward to say, but this is a privacy risk for me and I'm trusting you… please don't share this with anyone. So, you can tell me your secret and i'll let you have this one. Deal?_

"Jungkook! Come on, let's go!" Hobi knocked on the door and called out for him, they needed to get out for rehearsals. "We're going to get ready for filming."

Jungkook stared at his phone for a moment longer before pressing send and putting it in his pocket and heading with Hobi to the stylist's room. He was nervous about her response. Maybe she would be offended. Maybe his phone number would be posted online within a few minutes. His phone beeped while the stylist touched up his hair.

_I have saved you under Gym Buddy and this is your picture:_

Jungkook burst out laughing when he saw the attachment of the picture. It was a rabbit made from food, the ears were lettuce and the nose and mouth looked like they were cheese, with grapes for eyes and carrot stick whiskers.

"What is it?" Hobi asked.

Jungkook shook his head.

"Nothing."

He bit back his grin as he typed back, wondering if she made it then or if it was an old picture.

_It looks just like me._

"Sure, sure," Hobi said, not believing him. "Ah, you see this kid is all grown up," he said to the stylist who laughed.

_Hehe! I know. You have a concert tonight, right? You should be resting!_

_We're going to film something before rehearsals. Are you working? What's your secret?_

"I've been grown up for ages," Jungkook murmured, barely listening to those around him.

_Yep. Just having a short break from shooting for now. Hmm, my secret is this:_

She attached a photo to the message of a chef at a counter and a film crew, and then a second one came through of her with a 'V' sign and a smile.

_I'm filming a 10 episode food-based web-series with a famous chef and some other minor celebrity guests…and… we're releasing a cookbook together! So you can tell Jimin that I'll have lots of recipes for him soon._

Jungkook blinked in surprise, saved her photo and then replied.

_Very cool secret. I didn't know you were doing things like that._

_That's why it's a secret. Oh! Fan question before I have to go again: Is GCF going to open again?_

_Fan question? Ah okay then. Hmm, should I give the media answer or the real answer?_

_Real, please… I've changed my mind - not a fan question, a friend question because I think you're talented at film._

_Ah, I wonder if I should believe you. I want to… I just haven't had time for filming a lot and I'm not sure what to film._

"Jungkook - Jungkook?"

He hummed distractedly.

_Mmm. That's tricky. Film whatever makes you happy! It's easy when you like what you're doing, right?_

_Good advice. I'll think about it._

_Well. I need to go now. Make sure you rest up well to put on a good show for ARMY. BTS fighting! Jungkook fighting!_

_Ella, fighting!_

He put down his phone to see Jimin and Taehyung staring at him from the doorway of the room with sly smiles on their faces. The stylist was tapping his shoulder and giggling a little, telling him he was ready to go and not to forget his accessories. He became embarrassed when he realised they'd been trying to get his attention for a little while.

"Ah, thank you," Jungkook said, standing quickly.

He walked toward Jimin and Tae and the door.

"So who were you talking too?" Jimin asked casually, putting out an arm out to lean against the wall and stop Jungkook from leaving.

Jungkook rolled his eyes.

"You smiled the whole time," Tae grinned.

Taehyung moved his hands up like he was going to attack Jungkook with teasing pokes, and Jungkook, feeling a little giddy over Ella talking to him, playfully hit Tae in the stomach and after a dramatic reaction, Jungkook ducked under Jimin's arm and he and Taehyung ended up running down the hallway, yelling and playing fighting until Hobi told them to knock it off because they were running late, and then it was time to go.

* * *

Ella had never spent so much money in such a short amount of time on skincare products, but she was glad she did. With her getting less and less sleep, she needed them. Every job she had was beyond important. She needed to make good impressions and do her best work. Every time she finished up or was on her way to her next schedule, she fell asleep in the car immediately. Manager Ahn was as tired as she was, but he never complained and their relationship grew stronger from their shared experiences.

When she had the chance, talking to Jungkook became a kind of guilty pleasure to Ella. She didn't expect him to give her his information, let alone be so responsive. In her rational mind, she knew it wasn't smart. All she was doing was feeding into her silly delusions that her strange and random friendship with Jungkook could ever be something more when in reality, it wouldn't ever be anything more than a funny little thing that would fizzle out into a fond memory.

But there was a small part of her (a small but growing part) that kept hoping that she was just imagining that they were getting on so well and that he was talking to her because he thought the same things and was maybe even feeling the same strange things she was. She needed to get herself together. She had things to do and for her survival in her harsh industry, she needed to have her work done at the highest standard.

Having been absent from her socials for days, Ella sighed tiredly as she rolled over in her bed, unable to sleep but exhausted. She started searching for photos to post and thinking about what to update her followers with, and then her phone dinged.

_Hey Ella. We finished our concert. I'm back at the hotel but I can't sleep. Are you still awake?_

She ignored the message and instead sent out a tweet. Soon after her phone dinged again, and she frowned.

_Maybe you're asleep, or you're just ignoring me because you're a bad friend._

Ella sighed and smiled, berating herself for thinking he was cute and put her phone down. She really shouldn't reply. She really should keep her distance. But that was rational and she was too tired to act rationally. Ella picked up her phone and sent back a sleepy goodnight sticker. She put down her phone and suddenly began to feel sick and worried. She wondered how she could be feeling so mixed up over one person. Jungkook was… Ella sighed. Jungkook was great.

She shook out her limbs under the blanket and put her phone on her nightstand and turned over. She needed to stop acting like a fifteen-year-old. Ella was a professional adult and she was not going to let herself devolve into some silly fantasy. She was not falling for an out-of-her-reach idol. She was not going to let Jungkook with his perfect hair, witty comments, cute smile, and dance moves that made her melt, distract her from her life. More importantly, she wasn't going to let herself be hurt when she knew better.

* * *

_hey… I watched Jimin's V Live and he mentioned that he met me and follows my blog…_

Jungkook opened the text with a frown. Ella hadn't replied to him for a few days, hadn't opened his messages at all. It had been hard not to keep messaging, but he didn't want to seem over-eager and put her off. He saw that she was typing still.

_I'm grateful, but can you ask him not to do that again?_

His frown deepened at the content of the message. Nothing about not responding to him, nothing about what he'd asked her, about where she'd been, how she was. He felt uneasy.

_Why?_

He didn't know what else to say, the first thing she talks to him about is a stray comment from Jimin's live? Somehow he didn't like it. He sat up and stared at the phone with a frown while he waited for her to respond.

_I'm already getting messages from so many people and I don't know how I'm supposed to respond. But that's not it…Okay. I don't mean to sound conceited and I am grateful for the free advertising, but I don't want it. First of all, I don't want you to think that I'm friends with you or talk to you because I want something from you. Secondly, BTS has a very big following and you guys rarely mention brands at all. I'm concerned about how it could affect my reputation and following, as well as you guys - I mean, you sold out fabric softener, Jungkook. Well. I guess the thing is I just don't feel comfortable with it, it feels like mixing business with private life, and you're a friend so, I hope you understand._

Jungkook read the message over a few times, his unease wasn't lifting but his frown faded a little. He typed his reply slowly, trying to make sure he wrote the right things.

_I'll tell him. But he didn't say it for any other reason than he really does like your content. I don't think it's necessary to worry about that stuff, but I understand and I'm sure the others will too. And Ella…I've never once thought that you wanted something from me. If I did, I wouldn't have contacted you._

Jungkook let out a breath after he pressed send and then sent a copy of your message into the group chat with the members, adding _'Jiminie, Ella saw your V Live and sent me this…_' and the responses from the members were quick.

_Tae: Waaah. I want to meet her!_

_Namjoon: I hope she's as genuine as she sounds. I understand her reasons, we should respect her wishes. Plus, the manager just sent Jimin a message scolding him for it._

_Jimin: Awww. I didn't mean it like that and it was just a slip anyway._

_Jungkook: I told her and she is Namjoonie-hyung._

_Hobi: I hope she's being sincere as well. You should help her with a response to the people questioning her on how she met you, Jimin. It's gonna be a PR issue if it's not taken care of properly._

_Jungkook: You don't need to meet her._

_Tae: Are you worried she'll like someone other than you? Hehe._

_Jimin: She watched my Live! She's my fan. I'll help._

_Namjoon: Hoseok is right. If she and Jimin work out a response and she follows the script then we know she's a real friend._

_Jungkook: She's ARMY. She's OUR fan, Jimin._

_Yoongi: Is this really necessary to talk about in group chat? I'm trying to sleep._

_Tae: I'm coming to your room, Jungkook!_

_Jungkook: No._

_Jimin: Me too!_

There were rapid and annoying knocks on the door at the same time that Jungkook received a text back from Ella. With his phone in his hand and opened the door to Jimin and Taehyung.

"I told you not to come," Jungkook said, trying to shut the door on them.

Jimin and Tae pushed it open and ran into his room, jumping on the bed. He sighed and closed the door, checking the text from Ella. He read it standing.

_That makes me so happy, Jungkook. As cool as it is to be friends with BTS's Jungkook, I'm much happier to be friends with my gym buddy._

He didn't notice Taehyung until Tae had taken his phone away from him and read the message aloud to Jimin. Jungkook blushed and wrestled to get his phone back.

"I really want to meet her now," Taehyung said.

"Jungkook, are you going to see her again when we get back?" Jimin asked.

He shrugged and typed out a message.

_Ella, I'm going to video call. Jimin needs to talk to you about this._

"I don't know. I might see her at the gym," Jungkook answered. He walked over to his desk and put his phone at an angle in the holder. "Jimin, you need to talk to her."

_Waa! Give me five minutes then!_

He chuckled at her panicked message and sat in the desk chair, spinning to face Jimin and Taehyung, who let out a noise of frustration.

"You should just hang out and then confess to her," Tae said.

Jungkook spluttered at the word.

"Why would I do that?"

"Because you like her," Jimin laughed. "You've spent all your free time texting her. It's obvious."

Jungkook looked down and frowned.

"She hadn't replied to me for days," he admitted. "Today is the first time she's messaged me."

"Maybe she's been busy," Jimin suggested.

Jungkook grimaced. She had been busy, she'd told him about her schedule, but still… He turned swiftly when his phone dinged. Ella was ready.

Jimin and Tae crowded behind him as he set up the call. Nervously, he brushed his hair a little before he pressed call, and suddenly she was on the screen. Ella, with her hair in a bun, wide-eyes and nervous, an innocent lip bite occurred and he found himself staring at her mouth a moment before Tae and Jimin leaned forwards and Jungkook frowned.

"_Hello_."

Ella waved nervously and Jungkook thought she was too cute in that moment. Jimin hit his shoulder and he cleared his throat.

"Hello, Ella," he greeted her nervously.

"Hey Ella!" Tae waved. "We've heard so much about you. Nice to finally see you."

Jungkook did his best not to cringe as Ella looked surprised and gave a little smile.

"Hello again, Ella," Jimin said pleasantly.

"_Hello Jimin, Hello V,_" she said.

"Ah, you can call me Taehyung, we're friends," Tae said smiling.

Ella bowed her head at them all.

"_Thank you_," she murmured.

Jungkook cleared his throat.

"Ah, so, Jimin wanted to talk to you," he said, sliding back and standing.

"_Oh, okay_," Ella responded.

Off-camera, Taehyung stepped back and gave him a look and Jungkook shook his head at him, while Jimin sighed and sat down on the chair. Tae pulled Jungkook out of the frame and then leaned over and apologised to Ella for stealing him away for a little while and Jimin started talking to her.

"What are you doing, Jungkook?" Tae whispered. "Talk to her more."

"What am I supposed to say?" He asked. "Aish, I don't know how to - she hasn't replied to me for days."

Jungkook glanced over at Jimin.

"_… No, no it's okay, please don't apologise,_" Ella was saying.

"No, I should. It was a slip of the tongue, but at least you're close enough with Jungkook that we can work this out easily," Jimin said.

"_Yeah, I'm really hoping to get this sorted out before the internet can blow things out of proportion,_" she sighed.

Jimin laughed and Jungkook grimaced and again wondered why she hadn't been replying to him.

"She's cute and sounds smart," Tae whispered.

Jungkook didn't reply, he just listened to what she was saying.

"_So what do you want to say? A chance meeting?_" Ella asked. "_Maybe… maybe we could just replace you and Jungkook on the night we met?_"

Jungkook immediately knew he didn't want that to happen.

"Ah." he cleared his throat and Jimin looked at him expectantly. He moved hesitantly as he took some small steps over and Jimin shifted a little. Jungkook couldn't look directly at Ella. "Isn't it better to be as honest as possible?"

"_What do you mean?_" Ella asked curiously.

He raised his eyes and looked at her through the screen.

"Why not just say you coincidentally met Jimin through a friend?" Jungkook shrugged. "It's true, and you can just say that for your friend's privacy you want to keep their name out of it."

Ella blinked and seemed thoughtful.

"It's not a bad idea," Jimin nodded.

_"Okay,"_ she said slowly. "_I'll have a look at my messages tomorrow and see if I need to post something or just comment back to a few people. I'll send something through tomorrow morning for you to look over._"

"Sounds good," Jimin said, leaning back. "Ah, manager-hyung will be happy you're so nice. He scolded me badly."

Ella smiled, and Jungkook couldn't help but smile when he saw that.

"When we come back to Korea, let's meet for a coffee," Taehyung said, draping his arms around Jungkook and Jimin. "I want to meet you!"

Jungkook tensed slightly.

"_Ah, um, okay?_" Ella answered, bewildered.

Tae beamed and Jimin got out of the chair.

"Ella, stay and talk to Jungkookie for a while. We're going out. We'll see you in Seoul," Jimin smiled.

"Bye, Ella!" Tae waved. "Nice to meet you!"

Jungkook swallowed and followed them to the door.

"Talk to her," Jimin whispered.

"Okay, okay, fine, goodnight," Jungkook whispered back, closing the door on them.

He sighed, closed his eyes and rubbed his forehead. Hew was suddenly nervous to be alone with her, even if it was just through a screen. He went to sit back at the computer, he cleared his throat and took a drink of water. Neither of them spoke and the silence was unbearably awkward.

"_So how's the tour going?_" Ella asked him.

"Good," Jungkook replied.

Ella shifted, bringing her knees up onto her chair, and Jungkook caught a glimpse of her collarbone as her sweater moved. He glanced away.

"We'll be back soon," he added. "Next week."

"_That'll be nice,_" Ella said with a nod.

Jungkook nodded and the silence descended again. He wanted to talk to her, but he didn't know what to say.

"So I - you didn't reply," Jungkook burst out, unable to hold back any longer.

Ella made a small face and then looked down.

"_Sorry. I've been busy_."

He had a feeling she was lying and frowned. Not lying about being busy, but about that being the reason why.

"Is everything okay?" He asked.

She looked up in surprise.

_"Of course, why would you ask that?"_

Jungkook looked away.

"It just…you seem a little down. You're not smiling," he said, rubbing the back of his neck with embarrassment.

Ella bit her lip and he frowned again at the look on her face.

"Ella?"

She forced a smile.

_"It's nothing. Thank you…You're a nice person, Jungkook._"

"Thank you?"

"_It's pretty late. I need to sleep, I have to be at a shoot really early tomorrow_," Ella said with a yawn. "_And you should rest up well for tomorrow."_

Jungkook rolled his eyes.

"You really are like a mother sometimes," he chuckled.

Ella looked indignant.

_"There's nothing wrong with wanting your friends to take good care of themselves_," she retorted. "_Now go take a shower and go to sleep._" Her face softened. "_Goodnight, Jungkook."_

"Goodnight, Ella."

She leaned forward and hung up the phone. The screen changed to his regular phone and Jungkook, although happy that he had spoken to Ella, still felt a little uneasy at why she had seemed different and if it was something he'd said or done.

* * *

Ella hung up the phone and her forehead hit the table in front of her. Guilt rushed her when she thought about how concerned he'd look, how nervous he'd seemed when he talked to her and commented that she hadn't been replying. Her heart had been beating so fast the whole time. She could barely look at Jungkook on the screen, but she forced herself not to look away as much as she could. It just wasn't fair to him. She didn't want him to feel weird. He was too nice, just like she'd said. She was glad that Jimin had been so easy to talk too, and she felt bad about having such a reaction to his comments, but she didn't want to make things difficult for either of them. Trying to ignore everything, Ella put her phone on silent and went to bed.

Ella's phone and blog continued to receive messages and notifications all night and she woke in the morning with a sigh when she saw them all. Most of them were curious, some speculative, a couple weirdly and mean, but she didn't understand why. Jimin's comments were not even special, more offhand than anything. Someone had just asked him about food and he'd just seemed to remember her and said it. Nothing special in that at all. Netizens could be overly sensitive.

She slowly got out of bed and washed her face to wake up. Her manager would be coming soon, but her first order of business was getting her message out about Jimin. She changed into her sweatpants and matching cropped jumper in light blue, put on her coffee and grabbed her phone to film her comments. She set up on the sill of her window over the kitchen sink, the dawn light just coming in through the window was good, but it was still dark. She turned on a lamp to fill out the rest of the lighting. She had two eye masks on without make-up, but that was fine considering the content. She stretched her mouth a few times and cleared her throat before she was ready to put on a smile and press record.

"_Good morning everyone… I'm filming at the crack of dawn today because I have a really, really early schedule to get to but also because something crazy happened recently and last night I was really surprised and woke up with so many messages! So, please forgive my eye masks and morning voice. Anyway, a lot of you seem to have heard already, but last night Jimin from BTS talked about me on his V Live last night. I wanted to clear the air about this before there's any rumours or speculation. It's true that I did meet Jimin from BTS and yes, he follows me. It was a really random coincidence that we met about…two months ago I think? Anyway, I didn't mention it because it happened in private life and I think privacy is really important for everyone, especially for idols and celebrities since their lives are so public. So what happened was really a coincidence. The whole night was a weird coincidence. I was out at a coffee shop doing some editing and my friend arrived. Neither of us had spoken or planned to meet at all, so that was the first coincidence. Anyway, my friend was going to meet with their friend and stopped by to get something sweet before. They offered to drive me home because it was late, and it just so happened that Jimin was also in the car. So the entire meeting was really random. It was one of those nights that just felt like a dream, you know? I mean, if you guys have been following me, you know I've been ARMY for a few years, so I was quietly freaking out the whole time! It was so amazing to meet him and find out that he'd even heard of me before. Well, anyway, I just wanted to let you guys know the story. I'm also not going to reveal the identity of my friend, because that's an invasion of their privacy and there's really nothing else to say. It was a chance meeting that was really nice, and just to confirm it for the other ARMYs out there, Jimin is a really nice person. Anyway, that's all I've got to say about this, so if you guys can do me a favour if you see a bunch of comments and direct them to this video, that'd be really helpful! Thanks so much and I hope you guys have a great day!"_

She stopped the video and watched it over a few times. She was happy enough with it and sent it to Jungkook for him to show their managers and Jimin and whoever else wanted to check it before she posted it. Ella's manager called that he was outside and she grabbed her bag, put her coffee in a travel mug, and headed out to meet him.

"Did you see the news?" He asked her as soon as she was in the car.

Ella nodded.

"Good morning to you too," she mumbled.

"It's good publicity," Manager Ahn said. "Did you really meet him?"

Ella rolled her shoulders.

"I don't want to make this into a PR stunt," she said firmly. "I've already talked to him about it."

"Ella, please explain," Manager Ahn said tiredly. "When did you talk to him? What do you mean?"

Ella took a sip of her coffee.

"Do you want the full truth?"

"Please," he said flatly.

She explained the situation while he listened silently.

"I'm not going to use someone else's name to propel me. I want to work hard and earn everything myself," she stressed. "I'm waiting to hear back from Jungkook about the video now."

Before she could hear what her manager was going to say her phone rang.

"Jungkook?" She answered the call.

"G'morning," he murmured.

She blinked.

"Are you asleep?" Ella asked.

"I'm 'wake." He sounded like he was moving in bed. "I watched your video and sent it video to Jiminie and the manager." He yawned. "Just post it."

Ella couldn't help but giggle at his tired voice.

"Jungkook, you should wake up more before you try to call people."

He let out a little cough that turned into a chuckle and a tired kind of moan.

"Someone's knocking on my door," he groaned. "I'll talk to you later."

He hung up and Ella, in a slight daze, put her phone down. Her cheeks became warm. Jungkook called her and she heard his waking voice and Ella couldn't deny that she wanted to hear it more, even though it made her feel guilty. Her phone buzzed.

_Managers say ok to post it._

Ella sent back a sticker and scheduled the video to be uploaded in two hours when most people were awake.

"I understand your feelings," Manager Ahn said with a sigh. "But don't turn down people who want to promote you without ulterior motives. The fact is your secret friendship is going to give you opportunities whether you admit it or not."


End file.
